Wednesday, July 24, 2013

"Grow" is the theme this month at Once Upon A Sketch, and what better way to show growth than with the beauty of new blossoms on the trees, like the ones I captured here, while on a walk around my neighborhood a few Springs ago.

I was instantly inspired by this sketch and will probably use it again.

This also my entry for the Photo Inspiration Challenge at BOAF. I have so many paint swatches and used strips of them behind the photo. The red rose below the journaling and the circles in the centers of the larger pink flowers are rub-ons that I've had for years, making this my entry for the Four Categories Challenge. I started this page by masking the doily on the upper left, and using the actual mask as a stamp for the doily on the bottom right.

I used a real doily which I inked, cut a circle from the center with scallop scissors, and then cut it in half. The largest flower was stamped, embossed, inked, and fussy cut from white cardstock.

I used a light pink vellum to print my journaling on, and glued it behind this scallop wood veneer, which like the rest, were sprayed with Lindy Stamp Gang mist. The doily behind that was stamped just like the one in the upper right corner, but with different colored inks.

Now to make the Berry Blossoms! I used my Cricut (Serenade cartridge) to cut my flowers from white cardstock. Cut 2 flower 5's at 2" and 2 plant 3's at 1 1/2".

I used Distress Ink (picked raspberry) and my blending tool to color the flowers pink.

Then I dipped my flower into water and starting in the center I folded and crumbled it. I opened it up and while it was still wet I used my Distress Ink (aged mahogany) to go over the edges and the lines that I just made by crumbling it.

Once it's dry, layer your 2 flowers together with some glue. I use Aleene's Fast Grab Tacky Glue.

To make the centers, use Distress Ink (seedless preserves) and your blending tool to color the tips leaving the middle white.

Now curl your tips up and over using the end of a paintbrush or some tool to help curl your petals.I used a rub-on tool.

Then glue your centers together like this.

For the center I used this circle rub-on that I've had forever, but you could use bling, buttons, brads, or whatever you'd like.

For my smaller blossoms I used pink puffy paint for the centers. Here's a close-up of them both finished on my page.

I started by masking the left side of my LO with a Prima floral mask and some mists. I cut the title from white cardstock on my Cricut, and then used my blending tool and 3 different Distress Inks to color it in. The grass was also cut with my Cricut (plantin schoolbook cartridge) and then covered with lime stickles.

I misted the flowers with the bling in the centers, and made the rest using my wild fire flower tutorial. Of course I used different inks to match my page, but I also curled my flower petals more inwards instead of out.

Sunday, July 14, 2013

I hope everyone is having a fabulous summer so far, and taking lots of great photos! Then you can use them with this fun July Kit from BOAF. For this first page I was inspired by this photo and challenge.

I started with the kraft cardstock from Bazzill and misted it with 3 different mists, including the cornflower chalkboard Glimmer Mist that I got as an extra with the April Kit. I also misted the beautiful burlap flowers by Pink Paislee.

The We R Memory Keepers patterned papers that I used can by bought here.I cut and rolled the chevron paper to create a frame for this page. The starfish and seagulls were cut with my Cricut using the Life is a Beach cartridge. I stamped and embossed the title. I finished it up with the chipboard shell stickers from Bo Bunny that you can buy with the extras.

For this next page I wanted to use the bright and fun colors that are in the kit. I just love this photo that I scrapped of my brother and his son!

As much as I love all of the cardstock that comes with the kit, including all of the extras, I had to use my own blue cardstock for the background because I wanted to mimic the water in the pool. The patterned papers are Bo Bunny's "Key Lime" collection. The chipboard sun that comes in the main kit was painted first, before adding some yellow stickles to it.

Under the sun I used my Tim Holtz Mixed Media stamp with some paints to create the dots. Then I used bubble wrap for the rest, making this my entry for the Scrap for Help challenge this month. The splashes were cut from the Bo bunny pp.

I masked part of my title with Distress Inks, and used the Bo Bunny chipboard "swim" letters for the rest. I finished this page off by gluing some of the Queen and Co. twine that came in the kit, across my page.

Tuesday, July 9, 2013

The happy, bright colors, and the We R Memory Keepers "Feelin' Groovy" collection from the July BOAF Kit, was my inspiration for these groovy flowers that I made for this page that I scrapped of my Mom and Son. I just LOVE this photo because you can really see the love and admiration that my Son has for his Grandma! They really do share such a special bond together!

I was originally going to make these flowers from cardstock, but then decided to make them from this flower paper that you can buy with the extra patterned papers.

I'll be demonstrating how I made the blue flower on the bottom. Start by cutting out the dark blue petals using a craft knife, being careful to stop at the white circle.

Then I switched to my scissors to cut around the outer light blue petals.

I used Chipped Sapphire Distress Ink and a Q-Tip to go around the small dark blue petals.

For the outer light blue petals I used Peacock Feathers Distress Ink and my blending tool to create more depth. You could always skip this part if you want, or maybe doodle on your petals, or add glitter to them.

I used my Q-tip again to curl the smaller dark blue petals shaping them up and over the Q-tip.

Then I shaped my outer light blue petals curling the petals up and inwards.

I love these clear, colorful, glittery buttons that come in the main kit, and thought they were perfect for the centers!

To finish them off I knotted and trimmed the Queen and Co.twine that also comes in the main kit onto my button.

Here's a closer look at the finished flower on my page. This was the first one that I made, and as you can see I didn't stop there. I also hand cut all the smaller flowers.

I stamped all of the black branches and the orange and green circle borders that I layered with this scallop sticker that you can buy with the extra embellishments. But hurry before they're all gone!

Tuesday, July 2, 2013

I just LOVE the new "Anthem" collection by Bo bunny and used them again for my Fourth of July pictures last year! I scrapped this 2 pager of my son in my mom's backyard.

I used Lily Bee alpha stickers for the date and part of the title.

Stamping a star is the twist this month for the Stamping Challenge that I host, so I made this as my example. I used 3 different inks to stamp my stars and love that it looks faded to go with my distressed and torn background.

Monday, July 1, 2013

Happy July 1st! Independence day is just a fews days away, so I decided to get scrapping on last years photos. I used the new "Anthem" collection by Bo Bunny for these photos of me and my son waiting for the fireworks to start.

I used this sketch from last month's Bo Bunny Sketch Challenge for the 2nd time. You can see my other take on it using the "Key Lime" collection on my last post.

I love the way the burlap looks with this line, and added it to these flowers that I made! I hand stitched the stars which is the twist this month for the Sewing Challenge that I host at Scrapbook com.